Archives Archives

Categories

The SIT Model for Experiential Learning

On November 17th Dr. John Lucas, Provost and Executive Vice President for the School for International Training (SIT), joined our Global Future(s) Curriculum Cohort for a conversation on the SIT model for experiential education.

Founded in 1964, SIT prepares its students to be interculturally effective leaders, professionals, and citizens through semester-long study abroad experiences that integrate mentorship, original research, and language training. Students begin their time abroad with an immersive, week-long orientation. Over the next several weeks, through a combination of field-based excursions and a series of language courses, thematic seminars, and ethics-based research tutorials, they engage deeply with a global issue of their choosing – for instance, international health, migration, or human rights. As the semester draws to a close, students spend the remaining five weeks delving into an original independent research project that builds on a subject of interest to them, concluding their stay with a presentation on their findings for evaluation.

As the Global Future(s) Curriculum Cohort explores new modes of teaching with a global dimension, the SIT model for experiential learning can inform the ways that Georgetown supports deep and immersive learning in a global context.

Dr. Lucas holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Spanish from Penn State University and an M.A. in International Education from SIT. He is fluent in Spanish, Catalan, and French with proficiency in German and Italian.